FAQs

Which nationalities are eligible for the fellowships? At the time of the relevant deadline for submission of proposals, researchers must not have resided or carried out their main research activity in the country of their host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the deadline. Short stays, such as holidays, are not taken into account.

Are there restrictions concerning the topic of the research project when applying for a fellowship? DIATRAIN fellowships are aimed at promoting the major research areas covered by CIBERDEM, which can be checked here.

Is it possible to apply for a fellowship without a PhD degree? The PhD degree is not compulsory (even though it is highly recommended) as far as the researcher can prove a minimum 4 years of full-time equivalent research experience at the corresponding deadline for submissions.

Will you take career breaks into account? Career breaks will not be negatively considered unless this means the scientific merits are importantly reduced.

What is the deadline for submitting an application? COMP applications must be received by October 17th, 2011. CIMP applications must be received by November 30th, 2011. Applications must be completed before these deadlines, and any documents received after them will not be considered.

Which language can I use to submit my application? All applications have to be in English.

Which languages will be used in CIMP hosting institutions? English and Spanish.

Are Spanish language skills required? No, even though they are recommended. If they wish, CIMP applicants will be helped in finding local Spanish courses.

How should I submit my documents? You must use the application forms provided. Should them not be available, the Help Desk will provide the appropiate instructions.

What happens to incomplete applications? Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Once the application has been submitted, is there a possibility to add information or make changes? Changes in applications are not allowed. However, you can re-submit the whole application as long as the call is open. Only the last copy of the application received before the deadline will be considered.

How can I be sure my application has been received? DIATRAIN will acknowledge receipt of applications by e-mail within 72h after reception.

Will you provide reasons for refusing applications? All applications will be evaluated by an independent panel of experts. A list of the ranked applicants will be published after this evaluation. The final scores will be sent individually to each applicant.

Is it possible to re-apply after receiving rejection of a previous application? Yes, you may re-apply to the next call. However, no special treatment (neither positive, nor negative) will be given to these applications.

How will the mobility allowance be determined? The mobility allowance depends on the family obligations of the applicants. Fellowees with no relatives on charge will receive 6000 €/ year, while those with relatives on charge (either ascendants or descendants) will receive 9600 €/year. Please note that successful applicants with family obligations will have to acknowledge them during the fellowship negotiation.

How will the travel allowance be determined? The travel allowance is based on the direct distance between the country of origin and the host institution of the researcher, roughly 250 € per each 500 km to a maximum of 2500 € per year.

Do I have to choose my CIMP host institution? Yes. Please note that you must choose the institution that best fits your research project.

How many CIMP institutions can I choose? Do I have to send an application for each one? You may choose up to two institutions, your preferred one and an alternative one, but you do not need to send an application to each one of them.

Regarding the COMP scheme, how many institutions can I choose? Just one.

Which information should reference letters contain? Reference letters are intended to help the evaluation panel in assessing the excellence of the researcher. They should contain the referee's contact details and signature, as well as information on the nature of the relationship. Letters of reference should not exceed one page.

Can I send my reference letter by e-mail? Yes, we will accept scanned copies of reference letters as long as the quality is good enough to make it readable. These copies will be checked with their originals during the fellowship negotiation. Please note that non-matching or false reference letters will be a cause of application rejection.

Is there any kind of mentoring? Before the participant incorporation into a host research group, a mentor will be appointed. Mentors will closely follow the research activities undertaken by DIATRAIN participants and serve as a tool for their professional development.

Is there any kind of communication tool or blog available? Fellowed researchers will be invited to the Facebook group of DIATRAIN, where they will be able to share their experiences.

How are applications evaluated? Once submitted, the eligibility criteria will be checked. Eligible applications will be ranked by an independent panel of experts based on the following aspects: S&T Quality, potential impact/ToK, relevance to the host, relevance to CIBERDEM, personal career and applicant’s CV.

When will the outcome of the evaluation process be communicated to the applicants? Information letters will be sent to all the applicants within two months after the deadline for each call.